Former President Barack Obama accused President Donald Trump of politicizing both the justice system and the military during a friendly sit-down with Stephen Colbert on CBS’ The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, as reported by Breitbart.
Speaking in a pre-taped interview, Obama told Colbert, “We can’t overcome the politicization of the criminal justice system.”
He went on to say, “You can’t have a situation where whoever is in charge starts using that to go after their political enemies.”
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Observers noted that Obama’s statements struck an ironic tone given previous controversies surrounding the FBI’s actions during Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Kash Patel, the FBI Director referenced in relation to that period, said the bureau lied to obtain surveillance warrants used to spy on Trump’s team.
Obama continued by emphasizing his view that the Justice Department should function independently.
“Restoring some sense of the Justice Department being independent in making judgments about specific cases and prosecutions,” he said, stressing the need for renewed institutional integrity.
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He then turned his comments toward the U.S. military, urging that it remain apolitical. “The second thing is the military,” Obama said. “Don’t politicize our military.”
He elaborated, “As president, you are commander in chief. You are responsible for directing our military, but there had been a whole series of norms that were in place to ensure that you weren’t trying to make that military loyal to you as opposed to the Constitution and the people of the United States.”
“In my view, we’re going to have to find mechanisms to restore that,” he continued, adding, “And a good policy that I’d like to see followed is that the President of the United States shouldn’t have a bunch of side hustles.”
The conversation later took a lighter turn as Colbert joked about his own potential political prospects. “I’m looking for a new gig soon, and a lot of people tell me I should run for president,” he said.
Obama replied encouragingly, “Well, you certainly have the look.”
Colbert downplayed the idea, responding, “Well, for the record, I think it’s a stupid idea. How dumb do you think it is for people to say that I should run for president?”
Obama laughed and answered, “Well, you know, the bar has changed,” before adding, “Let me put it this way, I think that you could perform significantly better than some folks that we’ve seen.”
“I have great confidence in that,” Obama added, prompting Colbert to ask if that was an endorsement. The exchange drew laughter from the audience and underscored the relaxed, humorous tone of the interview.
Colbert’s conversation with Obama arrived as CBS prepared to conclude The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The network announced that the final episode would air on May 21.
CBS had previously confirmed that the show would not return for another season, citing financial considerations behind the decision.
Throughout the segment, Obama reiterated his themes of restoring integrity to national institutions and maintaining boundaries between political leadership and impartial governance.
The friendly interview closed with both men reflecting on shifts in political culture and the evolving standards for public leadership.
The appearance marked one of the closing high-profile moments for Colbert’s tenure on the show, merging political discussion with entertainment in what many viewers described as a “love-fest” exchange between the former president and the late-night host.
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